Life & Evolution

Topic Image Rail

More than half of Earth’s land surface has seen major changes in plant growth patterns such as leaf-on date and how much vegetation grows in a season.

K. Travis

DESIRABLE DINER A green hermit hummingbird has a long bill that can sip more nectar than other birds from the tropical plant Heliconia tortuosa, triggering the plant to start reproducing.

Matt Betts, Oregon State Univ.

The Loxosceles gaucho recluse spider (left) can kill a heavily armored Mischonyx cuspidatus harvestmen (right) by disabling its weak spots, a new study finds. Here the spider is inflicting a long bite to a joint on the harvestman’s third leg.